28.01. (Sat) 13:45 Liverpool - Manchester Utd.

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PROBABLE LINE-UPS

LIVERPOOL Reina Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose EnriqueAdam, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing Bellamy, Carroll

MANCHESTER UNITED Lindegaard Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park Rooney, Welbeck

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish doesn't have too many selection concerns ahead of Manchester United, but won't be able to call upon Luis Suarez due to the striker serving his suspension following the race row that also involved Patrice Evra.

Lucas is sidelined with a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season, while young defender Jack Robinson is out with a hamstring problem. Even if fit, the 18-year-old would have been an unlikely choice considering the magnitude of the game.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has some injury concerns ahead of the match, as Rio Ferdinand (back) is doubtful, as is Anderson with a slight knock, while Phil Jones (ankle) and Nani (foot) will sit out. Ferdinand missed the game against Arsenal, while Jones and Nani sustained their injuries during the 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.

Michael Owen (thigh) is still out, while Darren Fletcher (illness) and Nemnaja Vidic (knee) are expected to be out for the rest of the season, but Ashley Young could make a return to the United bench.

Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans put in a good performance during the victory over the Gunners and are expected to start at Anfield, with Rafael and Evra in full-back positions. Park Ji-Sung will likely be the man on the left flank with Nani almost certainly out.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The last time that the Red Devils beat Liverpool at Anfield in this competition was back in 1985, when Joe Fagan was boss. He was succeeded by Kenny Dalglish as player-manager the following season.

• The last five FA Cup meetings between the two sides have all been settled by a one goal margin, with three of them ending in a 1-0 victory while the other two ended in a 2-1 result.

• Dalglish managed to win the FA Cup twice during his first stint at boss, with the Reds winning the the competition in the 1985-86 and 1988-89 seasons. He is also one of 15 people to have won it as a player and a manager.

• Steven Gerrard (pictured right) has scored three goals and has been red carded once in his last four games against Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

• Manchester United have lost only three times in their last 21 away games in all competitions.

• The last time that the Red Devils lost to Liverpool in the FA Cup was back in 2006, when the Reds managed to secure a 1-0 victory at Anfield in the fifth round of the domestic cup tournament.

• Sir Alex has won this competition five times during the course of his long and distinguished managerial career. Should he guide his charges to the ultimate prize this season, he will have equalled former Aston Villa boss George Ramsay's record of six FA Cup trophies.

• United are currently the most successful club in this competition, having won it 11 times during the course of their history. Liverpool have won it on seven occasions, with their last triumph coming in the form of a penalty shootout victory over West Ham United in 2006.

Prediction

This game could go either way and the winner will likely be the side that shows fewer nerves on the big stage.
With home advantage and the added inspiration of playing against United, not to mention the visitors' injury problems, Kenny Dalglish's men could nick this one by a lone goal.

Editor's Prediction

Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd.

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28.01. (Sat) 13:00 Queens Park R. - Chelsea

John Terry - Chelsea

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

QUEENS PARK RANGERS Kenny Hill, Hall, Ferdinand, Young Derry, Buzasky, Barton, Wright-Phillips Bothroyd, Helguson

CHELSEA Cech Bosingwa, Cahill, Terry, ColeRomeu, Ramires, MeirelesMata, Torres, Sturridge

Nedum Onuoha could be in line to make his QPR debut having signed from Manchester City in midweek but AC Milan loanee Taye Taiwo is unlikely to be given international clearance in time.

Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore are unavailable for the home side having been selected for Morocco and Senegal respectively for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Alejandro Faurlin has been ruled out for the season after damaging his cruciate ligaments.

Frank Lampard is unavailable for Chelsea after suffering a calf injury against Norwich City. Gary Cahill is set to make his debut having been left out of the squad for last weekend’s goalless draw at Carrow Road.

John Obi Mikel is still out with a hamstring injury while Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are on international duty for the Ivory Coast in Africa. Both John Terry and Anton Ferdinand are expected to start amid the race row controversy surrounding the pair.

DID YOU KNOW?

•  This will be the 50th competitive match between the two sides with Chelsea having won 18 compared to QPR’s 14.

• The clash at Loftus Road will be the first time John Terry and Anton Ferdinand (below) have played against each other since the England captain was charged for racially abusing the ex-Sunderland man.

•  Chelsea have won the cup six times in their history.

•  The Blues have won three out of the last five finals, most recently in 2010 against Portsmouth.

•  The two sides have met five times previously in the Cup and were last paired together in 2008, when Chelsea claimed a 1-0 victory in the third round.

• The Stamford Bridge outfit were knocked out at this stage in last year’s FA Cup after a penalty shoot-out against Everton.

•  Victory over the MK Dons in the FA Cup third round replay was QPR's first in the competition since they beat Luton Town at the same stage in 2001.

•  The last time the home side reached the fourth round of the Cup, they were beaten 6-0 by Arsenal who went on to reach the final that year.

•  The Hoops side have won just three of their games in all competitions at Loftus Road this season, one of which was a Premier League victory over Chelsea.

•  QPR have reached the FA Cup final just once in their history, losing to Tottenham 1-0 in 1982 following a replay.

•  In the last three fixtures between these two sides, the home team has won 1-0 on each occasion.

Prediction

QPR’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea earlier this season saw the Blues go down to nine men in a match that led to the race row between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand. Despite the two-man deficit, Andre Villas-Boas' side still looked lively, something which will bode well for Saturday's meeting.
There will be a tense atmosphere at Loftus Road, and with Rangers slipping perilously close to the relegation places of late, expect Chelsea to just have too much quality for their west London rivals.

Editor's Prediction

QPR 0-2 Chelsea

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27.01. (Fri) 20:45 Watford - Tottenham Hot.

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

WATFORD LoachHodson, Mariappa, Nosworthy, Dickinson Deeney, Eustace, Hogg, Yeates Buaben Sordell

TOTTENHAM FriedelWalker, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto Lennon, Livermore, Modric, Kranjcar Defoe, Adebayor

Sean Dyche has a relatively healthy squad to choose from with only Stephen McGinn and Martin Taylor absent through injury.

There are also no suspensions being served by any Watford player, allowing the manager to select a strong side for the visit of Tottenham.

Spurs have confirmed Gareth Bale (thigh), Scott Parker (hamstring) and Younes Kaboul (groin) are doubts for the FA Cup tie at Vicarage Road. Ledley King is expected to be rested ahead of the game against Wigan on Tuesday, with William Gallas and Sandro also missing out with calf injuries.

Vedran Corluka remains sidelined while Tom Huddlestone has only just started to train again following his ankle injury.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The sides have met four times in the FA Cup with Tottenham coming out on top on every occasion and scoring 17 goals in the process.

• The 1987 semi-final at Wembley was memorable not only for Spurs' 4-1 win but for the identity of the Watford goalkeeper. Roger Plumley - the son of the chairman - took to tending the goal following a spate of injuries to the club's first and second choice keepers.

• Tottenham are unbeaten in their last five visits to Vicarage Road.

• Mark Falco is a name familiar to both sets of fans. The striker played at White Hart Lane for nine years before making the switch to Watford where he scored 14 times in his solitary season there.

• Watford have won one and lost seven of their last eight FA Cup games against top-flight opposition.

• Tottenham meanwhile, have only lost once in 33 FA Cup games against lower-league opposition - 3-2 to Leicester in 2006.

• However they have suffered in recent seasons by getting dumped out of the FA Cup at this stage in three of the last four years.

• Jermain Defoe (pictured right) has pedigree in the competition - scoring eight goals in 10 games over the last three seasons.

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27.01. (Fri) 20:00 Gabon - Morocco

Panoramic

PROBABLE LINEUPS

GABON Ovono Mouele, Manga, Ebanega, Poco, Moussono Aubameyang, Madinda, Moubamba,N'Guema Mouloungui

MOROCCO LamyaghriBasser, Benatia, Kantari, Kaddouri Belhanda, Kharja Amrabat, Boussoufa, Taarabt Hadji

After downing an unsettled looking Niger side in their Group C opener, 2012 Afcon co-hosts are now gearing up to face a Moroccan team still reeling from their disappointing 2-1 loss to Maghreb rivals Tunisia.
Gernot Rohr’s men looked stellar against the Mena, hardly taking their foot off the pedal while being led by the irrepressible Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. However, the German coach will be well aware that facing an Atlas Lions team on the brink of elimination will be a much more serious test for his side.
Aside for the outstanding home support that the Panthers will be certain to enjoy at the Angondje stadium in Libreville, another positive for them is that they’re at full strength and haven’t sustained any injuries. Furthermore, Stephane Nguema is the only player they have who is carrying a yellow card into the encounter. Thus, the pre-match conditions are ideal for the Gabonese as they look to produce another solid showing.
The situation on the Moroccan side of the fence is more complex as their opening game loss to the Carthage Eagles was followed by many Moroccans questioning Eric Gerets’ personnel decisions, particularly the inclusion of an out of form Oussama Assaidi.
Criticisms seem to be justified as the latest news from the Atlas Lions camp is that Assaidi, who perhaps should have been left out to recover fully, re-injured his achilles and will probably miss the match against Gabon.
Meanwhile, right-back Michael Basser sustained an ankle injury and may also be forced to sit this one out. While he wouldn’t have played anyway, the fact that third-string goalkeeper Issam Badda has been diagnosed with what is being termed a benign form of Malaria isn’t good news either. Furthermore, Marouane Chamakh is suffering from a fever and didn’t train on Wednesday. The north Africans will have to overcome all of these difficulties if they hope to resurrect their tournament.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Morocco once beat Gabon 6-0 in Rabat during 2006.

• The Panthers played a leading role in ensuring the Atlas Lions missed out on both the 2010 World Cup and Angolan Afcon as they beat them 2-1 in Casablanca and then 3-1 in Libreville.

• The two sides have faced each other 10 times and there has never been a draw between them. Gabon has won three times and Morocco has been victorious in the remaining matches, often quite comfortably.

• Gabon won their first game at the 2010 edition of the Afcon but failed to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

• If the Moroccans lose, it will be the third time in a row that they are eliminated in the first round.

Prediction

Gabon may have strearolled Niger but Morocco will be a much tougher opponent for them and one expect that the north Africans' inefficiency in front of goal won't last forever.

Editor's Prediction

Gabon 1-1 Morocco

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French Ligue 1 Opta Facts - 28-29 Jan

Auxerre - Nancy

Auxerre are enduring their worst start to a Ligue 1 season since the three-point rule was introduced, in 1994.
Auxerre have already suffered as many league defeats this term (nine) as during the whole of last season.
Nancy are unbeaten in their last four trips to Auxerre in Ligue 1, drawing three of these games.
All four Nancy wins this season in the league have been by one-goal margins.
The Abbé-Deschamps stadium has seen more goals than any other Ligue 1 ground this term (33).
Auxerre have lost all three league matches without Alain Traore this season.
53% of Nancy's league goals this season have come in the opening or final 15 minutes of games.

Brest - Paris SG

Brest are one of two teams who are sill unbeaten at home this season in Ligue 1 (four wins and six draws).
Paris SG are unbeaten in their last 13 top-flight enocunters against Brest, winning six and drawing seven; Brest's last win occured in 1985.
Five of PSG's last six Ligue 1 trips to the Francis-le Blé stadium have ended as draws.
The Parisians have failed to win any of their last six trips to Brittany in Ligue 1, drawing four and losing two.
Brest have kept a clean sheet in the last three matchdays, currently the longest run in Ligue 1.
PSG have won 85% of the games in which they have scored first, a higher percentage than any other Ligue 1 side this term.
A league-high 65% of Brest goals have been scored in the first half of games this term.
PSG have failed to win any of their four competitive matches without Javier Pastore this season.

Lille - St Etienne

St Etienne have failed to win any of their last 10 trips to Lille in Ligue 1, suffering seven defeats in the process.
Lille have lost just one of their last 24 home league matches.
Only two of the last 21 Ligue 1 encounters between these teams have seen St Etienne ending the winning side.
St Etienne are unbeaten in their last three away league matches, scoring twice in each game.
St Etienne have managed seven victories in the last 11 matchdays, only Marseille have won more games in that period.
Lille are unbeaten on Saturdays this season in the league, winning five matches and drawing four.
Lille are winless without Mathieu Debuchy this season in Ligue 1 (D3 L1).
St Etienne have racked up 33 points, their best performance at this stage of a Ligue 1 season since 1981/82.

Lorient - Sochaux

Sochaux are unbeaten in their last three games against Lorient in Ligue 1, winning once and drawing twice.
A league-high 80% of Lorient's goals have come in the second half of games.
Lorient have now failed to score in 207 minutes of Ligue 1 action at home.
Lorient have conceded the joint-fewest goals at home this season (four).
Lorient are one of three Ligue 1 sides this season without a player that has netted more than three goals.
Sochaux have lost seven and drawn one of their last eight competitive fixtures.
Sochaux have become the first side this season in Ligue 1 to fail to score in five consecutive matches.

Lyon - Dijon

Since 2010, Lyon have suffered only two defeats in 37 home league matches.
Lyon have lost just one of their last 33 league encounters against promoted teams at the Gerland stadium
Lyon have suffered seven defeats in 20 Ligue 1 games for the first time since 1997/98.
None of Lyon's last 16 league matches have ended as a draw, currently the longest run.
Lyon have scored more first-half goals than any other side this season in Ligue 1 (16).
Dijon have lost 90% of the games in which they have conceded the opening goal, a higher percentage than any other team this season in Ligue 1.
70% of Dijon's league goals this season have been scored by Benjamin Corgnet (eight) and Brice Jovial (eight).
Lisandro has netted 10 goals in his last nine competitive appearances for Lyon.

Nice - Montpellier

Montpellier are unbeaten in their last six league encounters against Nice, winning four of these matches.
Nice have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 12 Ligue 1 encounters against Montpellier.
Since gaining promotion in 2009, Montpellier's only goal conceded against Nice in the league was an own goal from goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren.
All four of Nice's wins this season in Ligue 1 have come at home and been by at least a two-goal margin.
Nice have lost all of their last seven January Ligue 1 matches, while Montpellier have won all of their last six.
Montpellier have lost their last two away games in Ligue 1.
Fabian Monzon has scored more goals (four) and attempted more shots (32) than any other Ligue 1 defender this season.

Toulouse - Caen

Toulouse are unbeaten in their last four Ligue 1 meetings against Caen (two wins and two draws).
Caen have lost only one of their last seven trips to Toulouse in the top flight.
TFC are unbeaten in their last eight home league matches, recording five wins and three draws.
Caen have lost nine of their 11 league games this season against teams currently ranked in the top half of the league table.
League leaders PSG are the only away team to have won at Toulouse this season in Ligue 1.
Caen are now winless in seven consecutive Ligue 1 games, currently the joint-longest run.
Caen have lost seven of their last nine games in all competitions, conceding 19 goals in the process.
Only one of Toulouse's last 40 league games have seen them score more than two goals.
Caen have now failed to score in three consecutive away games.

Evian TG - Bordeaux

All six Bordeaux wins this season in Ligue 1 have come against teams currently occupying the bottom half of the league table.
Bordeaux are one of only two sides who have yet to score more than two goals in a Ligue 1 game in 2011/12.
ETG have won all of their last four home matches in Ligue 1.
Bordeaux have only managed to win one of their last seven away games in Ligue 1.
There hasn't been a clean sheet in any of the last 13 Ligue 1 games involving Evian Thonon Gaillard.
Cedric Barbosa has scored five goals in his last five league appearances at the Parc des Sports stadium.
The first leg of this meeting remains ETG's only goalless draw this term in Ligue 1.

St Etienne - Sochaux

Sochaux have scored exactly two goals in each of their last three L1 matches against St Etienne.
Sochaux have won one of their last 12 games away to St Etienne in L1, 2-1 in August 2006.
PSG are the only away team to have emerged with a clean sheet from St Etienne's Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in L1 this season.
The last time Sochaux conceded as many goals at this stage of a Ligue 1 season was in 98/99 (34).
Sochaux have lost six and drawn one of their last seven competitive games.
St Etienne midfielder Banel Nicolita has scored in all of his three starts at home in L1 this season.
Sochaux are on a run of three consecutive defeats, which is currently the worst such sequence in L1.
Sochaux have failed to win any of their last seven away matches in Ligue 1.
Sochaux have not scored away from home in the league since Ryad Boudebouz's penalty against Nice last October.

Rennes - Marseille

If this season had started in October, Marseille would be top of the league with 27 points.
Marseille have won all of their four competitive matches in 2012, with an aggregate score line of 13-1.
Rennes have yet to lose at home this season in all competitions (seven wins and eight draws).
Marseille are unbeaten in their last eight trips to Brittany (at Brest, Lorient or Rennes) in Ligue 1.
Marseille have scored 18 goals in their last nine trips to Rennes in Ligue 1.
Loïc Rémy has netted four goals in his last three competitive appearances for Marseille.
Rennes are on a run of two consecutive wins in Ligue 1, but have yet to win three league games in a row this term.
Rennes, who won the first leg, haven't beaten Marseille twice in a Ligue 1 season since 2000/01.

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